You Are In Love
by Life In Ivy
Summary: Annabeth might be in love with her best friend. AU


I think that I'm in love with my best friend.

Or maybe not. But when he looked at me, green eyes twinkling, laughing about something dumb he just said, it seemed like it. My eyes lingered on his lips. That was a friend thing to do, right? Friends did that. All the time. Very um… Friendly.

"Annabeth?" I realized I was staring at Percy, and he was waving his hands in my face trying to get my attention. I blushed.

"Um yeah? What?" I stuttered. He grinned, not thinking much of it, and continued to chatter away about something Leo had said earlier. I nodded and murmured assent at the right places, but I wasn't really paying attention.

Was I in love with Percy? I cupped my fingers around my mug and breathed in the scent of my tea. I couldn't help noticing the proximity of Percy's hand to mine, or how whenever he ran a hand through his already tousled hair, the scent of ocean and an undefinable, but certainly warm, smell drifted towards me. How when he leaned towards me smiling, I felt a surge of warmth in my chest that I couldn't determine the name of. When he brushed his hand against mine or wrapped his arm around my shoulders, I tried desperately to hide the grin coloring my face.

_No, I'm not in love with him,_ I argued with myself.

"Are you okay in there? Seem a bit… Broody," Percy said, interrupting my thoughts. I nodded perhaps a little too enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I was just wondering how someone could be so stupid as to not wear a coat when the sky is practically black," I lied smoothly. Percy stuck his tongue out at me.

The reason he was at my house right now was due to the fact that he'd decided that, even with the chill in the air and the distinct look and smell of a storm permeating the air, the mile long walk to my house would be just fine. Without a coat, even. By the time he had arrived he'd been soaked to the bone and shivering.

"Are you crazy? Get in here!" I'd admonished. Now we sat at my kitchen table, Percy wearing a mixture of clothes he'd left here over time and some things of my dad's that were probably too tight on his leanly muscled body. He didn't complain. We each held a cup of tea, Percy's some fruit flavor which he'd drowned in sugar and mine, earl grey. He'd yet to explain to me why he'd walked all this way.

"Seriously though Percy, why did you walk all the way here when it was obviously about to get really nasty out?" I thumbed the rim of my mug.

"I wanted to see you," he replied. I looked over at him, my cheeks flushing. He had yet another of his signature smiles on his face. He seemed sincere. My brow furrowed even as my body filled with warmth at the thought.

"So badly you couldn't grab a coat?" He nodded fervently and sipped his tea. I bit my lip in an attempt to quell the smile threatening to envelop my face. _But he's just my friend, he doesn't think of me _that_ way, I thought._ The smile disappeared. _Even if I do. _

"Hey. Hey is something bothering you? Really Annabeth. You can tell me anything." He looked concerned, his brow creasing and a small frown settling on his mouth.

"I know," I replied weakly. I was scared that if I said anything more, it would pop out. I_ love you Percy! I_'d say. _I'm leaving now, don't talk to me ever again Annabeth! _Percy would reply. Okay so maybe that's not exactly how it would go, but I worried that it would. I worried every time he grinned at me, every time he brought coffee to me at school exactly how I liked it, every time he asked the meaning of a word that I felt, as a senior in high school, he should definitely know, that I would kiss him, or proclaim exactly how much and in what way that I loved him, and then he would never speak to me again. I'm pretty sure that I would suffer without Percy. He'd been my best friend for years. Seven, to be exact. You can't just go around making grand proclamations of love to your best friend. Puts a damper on the whole "friendship" thing you see. But I didn't know if I could do this much longer, and especially wasn't sure I could stand to help him get ready for another date. He didn't go on that many, but whenever he did, I felt anweight on my chest as if there were an elephant stepping on it.

I weighed my options.

"I love you, Percy," I said. He smiled, probably not thinking anything was out of the ordinary.

"Love you too," he replied. _No you dolt, I'm in love with you! _I yelled from inside my head. He couldn't hear me, obviously, but with how well he knew me, I hoped he would sense it. He didn't, of course. Instead he nudged my shoulder and looked out the window. "Looks bad out there. I might have to stay all night!" He exclaimed gleefully. I rolled my eyes. It wasn't uncommon for Percy and I to stay at each other's houses, but with me currently debating my feelings for him, it wasn't exactly a time when I wanted him to be within close proximity for hours on end.

"Oh yay," I said drily. He elbowed me, making me spill my (now cooled) tea on my hand.

"You know you love me. You just said so yourself!" He teased. _That's just the problem. _

Later that night, I laid on my bed, Percy as close as he could get to the bed without being underneath it. My bedside lamp was on, but otherwise the room was dark. I leaned over the side, my cheek smooshed on the bedspread and my arm hanging over the side. Percy lay on his back, a pillow and some blankets beneath him. He was holding my hand in his, examining it.

"No no no, this won't do," he joked. "Your hands are much too beautiful. It's not okay. They're _hands_." I didn't respond, instead studying the way his lips moved when he spoke and how his eyes sparkled with amusement. "This is serious Annabeth! Annabeth. You're making us all look bad with your perfect hands." I smiled amusedly.

"Percy?" I said. He released my hand and sat up to look at me upon hearing my tone. He didn't say anything, instead smiling encouragingly. I looked down, suddenly becoming very interested in a loose thread on my comforter. "Percy, I think I might… Like maybe I- um. I could possibly, like, love you in a way that's… Not friendly," I murmured. I grew very hot, my heart beating so quickly and so loudly it seemed it would burst.

He put his hand on my chin, gently directing my gaze towards his face. I had never seen the smile that was on his face before. It was soft and wide, his eyes gentle and full of love. "I love you in a way that's maybe not friendly, too," he said. A grin spread across my face. He moved his hand to my cheek, silently asking for permission. I nodded my consent and he leaned forward. Our foreheads touch for one moment and then his lips met mine gently, then with more force, almost reckless abandon. It was everything I'd imagined and everything I hadn't. It was perfect. It was comfortable. My heart swelled with love.

He pulled away after what seemed like the shortest and longest moments of my life and cracked a smile. "Guess our parents won't be letting us have sleep overs any more, huh?" he said. I smacked his shoulder and he pretended to be wounded, ever the drama queen.

"How long?" I questioned. He looked up at the ceiling.

"Since the day I met you," he replied. I smiled. "You?"

"Same," I squeaked. The grin on his face was blinding.

"Annabeth, can I come up there?" He whispered. I patted the bed next to me in reply and he stood up, climbing over me to get there.

"But keep your clothes on," I teased. He acted as if he were scandalized, gasping and clutching his chest.

"Why, the thought has never crossed my mind!" I muttered 'uh huh', not believing it for a second. He didn't sound very earnest. I can't say I would either, if I were to say it out loud. I put my arm across his stomach and laid my head on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me, leaning his head on mine. He pressed a kiss onto the top of my head. For the first time in a long time, everything felt right.

"I love you," I whispered before falling asleep. It was the best nights sleep I'd had in years.

I am in love with my best friend.

**Hey guys! So, long hiatus, I know. Hopefully some of you reading this are longtime followers who also like Percy Jackson, because I love Percy Jackson. I was working on another PJO fic, which will be much longer, when I was filled with the distinct urge to write fluff. So this kinda spilled out. I had fun writing it. I'm sorry if I'm a little rusty from lack of practice, but hopefully you'll be seeing more of me. I probably won't be writing too much, if any, Danny Phantom in the future, so I'm really sorry if that's what you're here for. I know, I know, I'm incredibly disappointing. No hard feelings if you unfollow. I love you all and hope to hear from you in the reviews (or PM me, that's cool too!). xxx **

**_Sorry if there are any boo boos (unwarranted change in tense or typos for example). Please let me know._**


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